The summer breeze was faintly intoxicating, and cicadas clung to the treetops, chirping tirelessly, adding another measure of irritability to the already scorching weather.
In a few days, July would arrive, bringing the hottest stretch of the year. Konoha remained as prosperous as ever, with no visible changes from previous years.
But this was Konoha's seventieth year. Starting this year, some things were bound to change. When the ninja world, long accustomed to peace, faced suddenly erupting events, its response could only be described as clumsy.
For this, they paid the price they deserved. And all of this was merely a prelude. When the Fifth Shinobi World War broke out three years later, everyone would finally realize that this ninja world was completely different from what they had known.
It had been some time since Naruto Uzumaki and the others returned to the village. Kakashi truthfully reported Zabuza's mission, and the Third Hokage raised its rank to A accordingly.
None of that was the key issue. Naruto Uzumaki's sudden Nine-Tails eruption during the battle had further raised the upper ranks' assessment of his danger. Naruto Uzumaki was secretly ordered not to leave the village. Thus, for the time that followed, Team Seven's missions consisted entirely of the lowest-ranked D-rank jobs—pulling weeds, searching for lost pets, clearing river channels, and the like.
Meanwhile, the upper ranks focused on another piece of intelligence provided by Kakashi: the mysterious person who had stopped Kakashi's Lightning Blade with one hand, prevented Naruto Uzumaki's Nine-Tails rampage, and allowed Zabuza to return to Kirigakure.
The unknown was always the most frightening. As ninja, they naturally understood the importance of intelligence. A powerful figure who had suddenly appeared like this was absolutely someone who demanded priority attention.
Unfortunately, Kakashi's intelligence was far too limited. Based on his